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Film festival gets support

Intelligencer file photo
Jacob Cote, the organizer for local film festival Hollywood North, spoke to Quinte West council earlier this week. The festival, which launched in 2015, will be returning to local theatres this summer.

What would Mary Pickford have thought about all the attention the city is getting lately when it comes to watching movies?
While officials will never know the answer, they are looking to solve what appears to have become a contentious issue.
Later this month politicians will debate, and maybe approve spending $100,000, on developing Cinema on the Trent under the Film Street banner.
A report will go to council in two weeks with more details on a proposal submitted last month by Toronto-based Film Festival Development Consortium (FFDC).
FFDC principals Bill Marshall and Henk Van der Kolk were in council chambers last month outlining preliminary plans.
The city has already paid the firm $20,000 to outline a proposal that looks at larger picture when it comes to developing a film festival.
But political attention now appears to be turning toward the smaller, local vision.
“From my perspective I’m impressed with the quality of what’s being produced locally on small budgets. We should be supporting local talent and local people,” said Mayor Jim Harrison.
Harrison isn’t committing, or predicting what will happen when council looks at that bigger picture — one with a proposed budget of $1.6 million — in two weeks time.
Harrison made the comments Tuesday morning following a presentation at Monday’s city council meeting by Jacob Cote, director of the Hollywood North film festival that takes its name from the film industry launched in Trenton nearly 100 years ago.
The fledgling festival receives local sponsorship and funding from the Ontario Arts Council. Cote wasn’t looking for funding from the city.
Trenton’s early role in the film industry, said Cote, served as an inspiration for the festival.
Hollywood North was launched in 2015 with 50 juried films — 17 of them Canadian – shown at local theatres in Belleville, Picton and Trenton. This year’s festival is scheduled for July 15-17.
Cote said eight of the films were screened at the Cannes Films Festival.
Cote brought along local filmmaker Victor Cooper, a Loyalist College graduate who chose to remain in the region, instead of seeking the big city lights.
“There is a vibrant filmmaking community here. I want to encourage you to consider supporting local film,” said Cooper.
His indie horror film — critically acclaimed Merci — premiered at Hollywood North last year. It’s also been shown at festivals in Russia and the United States.
The Quinte region is already home to three film festivals — Movie Years Today run by Trenton based director and cinematographer Joel George, the Belleville Downtown Doc Fest and Hollywood North.
“Any thoughts about making all of this (existing festival) a more regional, collaborative effort in order to make it bigger?” asked city councillor Al DeWitt Monday, playing the regional tourism card.
Cote said there hasn’t been a lot of in depth discussion.
“We’re open to discussion,” he said.
Later he told media the idea of a larger festival – one with local content where filmmakers can show off their talent – does make sense given the 100th anniversary of filmmaking in Trenton is on the immediate horizon.
“We like some of the ideas. It does make sense to celebrate 100 years and we want to be involved in the process. We want to be involved promoting film as a regional thing. It’s what we’re all about and we want to be able to accomplish that,” said Cote.
But Cote admitted “it does and it doesn’t” make sense to have three separate regional festivals.
“Movie Years Today focuses solely on local films. Doc Fest focuses on documentaries while Hollywood North screens international films. From our perspective, what we have now really works well. All three major areas of film are covered,” said Cote.
For all three festivals to work in collaboration “is an absolute possibility,” added Cote. “That could definitely happen when it comes to celebrating 100-years of film in the region. We should be working together, but down the road keeping our individual identities is important to the sustainability of each of the three festivals,” he said.
Cote said existing festivals offer the public a choice.
“Some people prefer local films others prefer international films,” he said.
Cote said organizers were happy with the turn out for the first festival, describing it as a niche event.
“International, independent films are not something that people are used to seeing. It’s not your blockbuster that people go to the local cineplex. I would argue the stories are better and you get to meet film makers. It’s an interesting process,” said Cote.
Thirty films have already been submitted for the this year’s Hollywood North festival.
ekuglin@postmedia.com